Belief in the Hereafter

The belief in the Hereafter is a belief in all that the Prophet (peace be upon him) told of what will happen after death, belief in the grave trial, in the grave punishment and in the grave delight, belief in the Day of Judgement, Paradise, and Hell. As for the trial, people will be tried in their graves Every one will be asked: "Who is your God? What is your religion? Who is your Prophet?" Allah will affirm the believers with the true words in this life and in the Hereafter, so the believers will say: Allah is my Lord, Islam is my religion, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is my Prophet." But the doubtful will say: "What? What? I don't know. I heard the people say something, so I said it." Thence will he be beaten with an iron bar until he sends out a loud scream which all but human beings will hear, because if they would hear it, they would faint. This trial will be followed either by delight or punishment, until the Big Resurrection (al-Qiyamah al-Kubra) will take place. The souls will be returned to their bodies and the Resurrection, which Allah has told of in His Book (the Qur'an) and through His Prophet, and about which all Muslims agree, will occur. The people, naked, barefoot, uncircumcised, will rise from their graves to face The Lord of The Universe, while the sun moves nearer to them and their own sweat overwhelms them. Then the scales will be set so that people's deeds may be weighed. "Those whose scales are heavy (with good deeds) will be successful and those whose scales are light (lacking sufficient good deeds), will lose their souls eternally to Hell." (Surah al-Mu'minun 23:102-103) The Records of the People's Deeds The records will be distributed-the records of deeds. Some will receive theirs in their right hands, and some in their left or behind their backs32. For The Glorified, The Exalted, has said: "Every person is held responsible for his [or her] deeds. On the Day of Resurrection We shall bring out for him a scroll which he will see spread open. (He will be ordered): Read your own record; It is sufficient that you judge yourself today." (Surah Bani Israel 17:13-14) Allah will remind the people of their deeds, talk privately to His faithful 'abd (worshipper) and remind him of all his faults. So it has been described in the Book (the Qur'an) and in the Sunnah. As for non-believers, they will not be reminded in the manner of the one whose good deeds and bad deeds are balanced, because they will have no good deeds. Rather their (evil) deeds will be counted, verified and presented so that they admit to them, and will be punished for them. Al-Hawd (The Prophet's Pool) In the Court of Judgment is the Prophet's Pool (Hawd) with its water whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, its drinking vessels as numerous as the stars, and its length a (travel for) a month and its width a (travel for) a month. Whoever drinks from it will never thirst. As-Sirat (The Bridge Over Hell) The Sirat is stretched over Hell. It is the bridge between Paradise and Hell. People cross it in accordance with their deeds. Some cross as quickly as the eye winks; Some cross as if a flash of lightening; Some cross as if wind; Some cross as a noble horse would; Some cross as a camel rider might; Some cross it running, some walking; Some cross it crawling; And some are snatched and thrown into Hell. The bridge has hooks to snatch the people according to their deeds. Whoever passes over it enters Paradise. If they cross the Sirat, they will be halted over a bridge between Paradise and Hell to settle accounts between themselves; If they are cleared and purified, they are permitted to enter Paradise. Ash-Shafa'ah (The Prophets Intercession) The first to knock at the gate of Paradise will be Muhammad (peace be upon him); And the first Ummah to enter Paradise will be his Ummah. And he (Muhammad) (peace be upon him) has three intercessions to perform on the Day of Resurrection: His first intercession will be on behalf of the people still held for judgment, after all Prophets, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, the son of Mary, have passed over intercession and it reaches him (Muhammad). His second intercession will be on behalf of the people of Paradise in order that they may enter it. These two intercessions are unique to him. His third intercession is to be on behalf of those who warrant Fire. This intercession is for him (Muhammad), for all prophets and saints and for others, so that they may intercede on behalf of those who deserve Fire, preventing them from entering it, and on behalf of those who have entered into the Fire, taking them from it. Allah, The Exalted, out of His Generosity and Mercy, sends some people out from the Fire without intercession. Space will be left unfilled in Paradise, so Allah will create more people for it, and bring them into it. The Hereafter includes judgment, reward, punishment, Paradise and Hell. These are mentioned in detail in the Revealed Books from heaven, in the tradition of the prophets, and in the inherited knowledge from Muhammad (peace be upon him) what is sufficient and satisfactory (in this regard), and whoever wishes to seek it can find it.